The Bengals made it official Friday when they activated rookie backup tackle Cedric Ogbuehi and put backup cornerback Darqueze Dennard on season-ending injured reserve with a dislocated shoulder as the last two first-round picks exchanged places for the stretch run.
On Friday the Bengals injury report listed starting cornerback Adam Jones (foot) and backup defensive tackle Pat Sims (knee) as questionable for Sunday's game at Paul Brown Stadium against the Rams (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 19) after they were limited in Friday's routine. Jones, who missed his first game in 57 straight last Sunday in Arizona, went limited Thursday and Friday after missing Wednesday. That could bode well for him since right end Michael Johnson was questionable and played last Sunday.
Everyone else went full Friday and came out probable for the game, including WILL backer Vontaze Burfict after he went limited Wednesday and Thursday.
Dennard got hurt on his 36th and final snap of last Sunday's game in Arizona in his first NFL start, although he said he initially hurt the shoulder the week before against Houston.
"I dislocated it for sure on that play,' said Dennard of the 18-yard touchdown pass to Cardinals wide receiver John Brown.
Dennard had played sparingly in the previous three games (28 snaps), but it is the most he's played from scrimmage in his two seasons. With Leon Hall sidelined in the Bills' victory last month, Dennard took his 48 snaps in the slot and ended the season with 191 snaps.
"I felt like I started to get into the rhythm of the defense and finally got some opportunities to go out there and show the coaches what I can really do," Dennard said. "I got sidetracked, but God has a plan. I just have to figure out what his plan is and keep all my faith in him."
Dennard said he'll undergo surgery in the next week or two and after a six-month recovery he said he'll "definitely," be ready for training camp.
RAMS INJURIES: QB Case Keenum (concussion) went limited Friday, was called questionable, and The St. Louis Post-Dispatch expects Nick Foles to make the start. That makes the Rams better, given that Keenum has made just 11 NFL starts and was 2-9. Foles, who got benched. two weeks ago, has a 19-14 record with a career passer rating of 90.1. In his one year in St. Louis, Foles' rating is 75.9 with seven TDs and six interceptions and the Rams are 4-5 when he starts.
Also questionable were three starters that didn't practice this week in right end Robert Quinn (hip/back), cornerback Trumaine Johnson (thigh) and right tackle Rob Havenstein (calf). Some and maybe all aren't expected to play. The already beleaguered offensive line lost another when starting right guard Andrew Donnal (knee) was declared out.
It seems like the Bengals have been smack in the middle quarterback changes all year.
They drove the Raiders' David Carr out of the opener in Oakland in the second quarter. After a week of uncertainty in Buffalo, they got backup E.J. Manuel.
And just in this month alone they faced Cleveland backup Johnny Manziel when Josh McCown couldn't answer the bell, T.J. Yates came off the Houston bench to lead the Texans to the winning TD after Brian Hoyer got concussed, and now Keenum apparently is still in the concussion protocol.
After practice this week, Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther was asked about the problems posed by not knowing for certain the identity of the starting QB.
"We've got both of them on tape. We've been down this road," Guenther said. "I keep telling them it's more about how we execute the plan rather than who they got out there. We'll look at both guys and whenever we find out who's playing we'll key on that guy."
JONES NODS BACK: Earlier in the week Rams head coach Jeff Fisher told a conference call with the Cincinnati media how happy he is that Adam Jones has overcome the problems he had early in his career when he coached him in Tennessee and is looking forward to seeing him before Sunday's game.
The feeling is mutual. Especially after Jones says Fisher came to bat for him five years ago.
"I don't think I'd be here now without Coach Fisher," Jones said before Friday's walk-through. "Coach Fisher called Marvin (Lewis) and said he hoped I'd get another shot. I love Fisher. Words can't express it."
Fisher, the Titans head coach when they took Jones with the sixth pick in the 2005 draft, would have like to have kept him in Tennessee for more than those first two seasons, Jones thinks. But when Jones was suspended for the 2007 season for several run-ins with the law, it was a dead end for him in Nashville.
"He tried his best to do everything for me, but at the time I was a little rebellious," Jones said. "He's always been in my corner. Anytime I need talk to him, he's been there. I talk to him periodically." WEATHER CHECK: The National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio is calling for a game-time temperature of about 50 degrees under mostly overcast skies and winds out of the northeast at five to 10 miles per hour with a 50-60 percent chance of scattered showers,
